National Park

According to the National Park Service about 272 million people visited the country’s 391 parks in 2006, the last year for which complete statistics are available. Also, according to the Park Service, the number of current visitors appears to be sharply on the rise. Tour operators agree. One outfit that books tours to these prime recreational areas says that they have seen a booking increase of 180% in the past year alone.

It is not hard to understand why. You can get the most spectacular natural views in the country at the national parks, from coral reefs to towering mountains, it’s all there. These wilderness preserves are uniquely an American invention. Perhaps the most famous, Yellowstone National Park, was established by an act signed by President U. S. Grant in 1872. The United States was the first country to officially designate an immense area of its natural wilderness as a national preserve for all the succeeding generations yet to come.

The active family will have plenty of opportunities to participate in genuine outdoor adventure, including everything from hiking to rafting to snorkeling at coral reefs. You can learn about the geology of the area from very knowledgeable guides. You can get personally acquainted with the wildlife that may be peculiar to that area of the country and that particular habitat. You may even get stuck in a little traffic jam waiting for the bears to cross the road, or to at least to get out of the way.

Maybe the best part of our national park system is that you can get away to a memorable and spectacular vacation area for a heck of a lot less than it would cost you to take a cruise or travel to some distant land, and you can do it all in your own backyard so to speak. Many national parks have very modern camping facilities and millions of people each year make the choice to go natural all the way. There are always nearby hotels and motels, cabins and lodges if you prefer roughing it with dinner at seven and clean sheets instead of a sleeping bag.

You also get the choice to drive your car through most national parks to get the grand view. Many others have miles and miles of hiking trails if you want to get a little closer to the earth. Detailed and instructive maps you can use to plan a tour are available to you at just about every park. Guided park tours are also very popular and are commonly offered as part of a packaged vacation plan from most tour operators. The largest national park is in Alaska, and at 13.2 million acres has a bigger land area than many countries. You may want to hire a guide for that one. The smallest national park is the Thaddeus Kosciuszko Memorial in Pennsylvania at 0.02 acres. Every State but Delaware as at least one National Park.